Top stops for slide fasteners

ABSTRACT

Top stops for particular use in a slide fastener of the type having a continuous coupling element which is arranged on one surface of each stringer tape and which is substantially in the form of a helix including a series of ladder-like transverse portions each with a coupling head at one end and a series of connective portions remote from the coupling heads. A pair of support members of plastic material are provided which overlie and unite substantially integrally with several of the connective portions, including the uppermost ones, of the continuous coupling elements, respectively. Each top stop takes the form of a strip of metal which is received between two adjacent transverse portions of the coupling element and which is secured in position by clamping engagement of the stringer tape and the support member.

United States Patent Fukuroi Sept. 16, 1975 TOP STOPS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak [75] Inventor: Takeo Fukuroi, Uozu, Japan Attorney, Agent, or FirmBucknam and Archer [73] Assignee: o]s(hidaJKogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, [57] ABSTRACT 0 apdn Top stops for particular use in a slide fastener of the [22] Filed: Dec. 27, 1974 type having a continuous coupling element which is arranged on one surface of each stringer tape and [21] Appl' 536828 which is substantially in the form of a helix including a series of ladder-like transverse portions each with a [30] Foreign Application Priority Data coupling head at one end and a series of connective Dec. 29, 1973 Japan 49-4186 Portions remote from the Coupling heads- A P Of support members of plastic material are provided 52 US. Cl 24/205.11 R; 24/205.11 P which Overlie and unite Substantially integrally with 51 Int. Cl A44b 19/36 Several of the Connective POITiQnS, including the p- [58] Field of Search 24 205.11 P, 205.11 R Permust ones, of the Continuous Coupling elements, respectively. Each top stop takes the form of a strip of [56] References Cited metal which is received between two adjacent trans- UNITED STATES PATENTS verse portions of the coupling element and which is 26m 8 H952 M h] 24/2O5 H R secured in position by clamping engagement of the 0e er..... 2,832,119 4/1958 Ncitlich 24 205.11 R Strmger tape and the support member 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures TOP STOPS FOR SLIDE FASTENERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION the invention deals with top stops for use in a slide fastener of the type having continuous coupling elements I arranaged along the opposed longitudinal edges of respective stringer tapes.

The top stops as heretofore constructed and arranged are usually affixed directly to the upper extremities of the respective coupling elements or to the stringer tapes just above the upper extremities of the coupling elements. Mostly, these prior art top stops are not sufficiently stably supported to resist the thrust of the slider that. acts repeatedly thereon in the use of the slide fastener. Such top stops are therefore relatively easy to be displaced, deformed, or detached from the fastener stringers, thereby failing to stop the slider exactly at the end of its fastener closing movement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, threfore, a primary object of this invention to provide the improved construction and arrangement of top stops, such that the top stops can be securely supported in prescribed positions on respective fastener stringers in spite of the thrust of the slider acting thereon throughout the prolonged period of use of the slide fastener.

The top stops according to the invention are intended for use in a slide fastener of the type having a continuous coupling element mounted along one of the longitudinal edges of each stringer tape lying along the other tape. The continuous coupling element, which may be fashioned from a synthetic resin filament, comprises a series of ladder-like transverse portions each with a coupling head at one end, and a series of connective portions interconnecting the transverse portions and disposed remote from the coupling heads.

The top stops, which are each in the form of a strip of metal, are affixed to the respective stringers, at or adjacent the upper extremities of the respective continuous coupling elements, by clamping engagement of the stringer tapes and support members of plastic material mounted thereon. Each support member overlies and unites substantially integrally with several of the aforesaid connective portions, including the uppermost one, of the continuous coupling element.

Since the top stops are firmly clamped onto the respective stringers by utilizing the inherent resiliency of synthetic resin or the like of which the support members are made, the top stops are effectively protected against displacement, detachment or damage resulting from the repeated thrust of the slider in the use of the complete slide fastener.

The features which are believed to be novel and characteristic of this invention are set forth in particular in the claims appended hereto. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction, arrangement and manner of functioning, together with the further objects and advantages thereof, will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments which is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to corresponding parts of the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial top plan view of a slide fastener incorporating a preferred form of the top stops according to the invention, in which the slider is shown in its uppermost position on the pair of fastener stringers and in which the slider is shown with its front wing cut away to clearly reveal the relations between the top stops, the fastener stringers and the slider;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of one of the fastener stringers, complete with its top stop, shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the plane of line III-III in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing another preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 best illustrates the general organization of a slide fastener for which the improved top stops of this invention are particularly well adapted. The illustrated slide fastener comprises a pair of stringers 10 which include tapes 11 carrying continuous coupling elements 12 along their opposed longitudinal edges, and a slider 13 slidable along the continuous coupling elements to open and close the fastener.

Each continuous coupling element 12 can be in the form of a coil or helix of a synthetic resin filament and is stitched at 14 to one surface only of each stringer tape 11. The continuous coupling element comprises a series of constantly spaced ladder-like transverse portions 15 each with a coupling head 16 arranged at one end for engagement between the identical coupling heads of the companion coupling element, and a series of connective portions 17 arranged remote from the coupling heads and serving to connect the adjacent transverse portions.

The slider 13 can be of the usual type having a body which comprises front and back wings interconnected by a web or neck 18 located centrally at the flared top end of the slider body. The front and back wings and the web 18 are so arranged as to define the Y-shaped guide channel through which the coupling elements 12 are adapted to pass. The front wing has a pair of side flanges 19 which serve as guides for the coupling elements. It will be noted from FIG. 1 that the side flanges 19 include divergent portions 20 adjacent the flared top end of the slider body and parallel portions 21 adjacent its contracted bottom end.

The general organization of the illustrated slide fastener, as so far set forth, has been well known in the art, and therein lies no feature of this invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the invention provides a pair of structurally similar metal-made top stops 22 mounted adjacent the top ends of the respective stringers 10 via support members 23 of plastic material each overlying and substantially integrally uniting with several of the connective portions 17, including the uppermost one, of the continuous coupling element 12. Preferably, the support members 23 should be of thermoplastic synthetic resin, so that each member can be fused to the several connective portions of the continuous coupling element as by the known high-frequency or ultrasonic welding techniques.

Each top stop 22 is in the form of a strip of metal, with a width to fit neatly between two adjacent transverse portions 15 of the continuous coupling element 12. As will be best understood from FIG. 3, each metalmade to stop 22 is received between two adjacent transverse portions of the continuous coupling element and is secured in position by clamping or gripping engagement of the stringer tape 11 and the support member 23. By the term clamping engagement is also meant the arrangement in which the metal-made top stop has pointed or tapered ends that are driven through the stringer tape and perhaps clinched.

Thus, when the slider 13 is moved along the continuous coupling elements 12 in the fastener closing direc tion to the predetermined uppermost position on the pair of stringers 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the top stops 22 as well as their support members 23 enter relatively into the slider body. The fastener closing movement of the slider 13 is arrested in its uppermost position, in which the top stops 22 abut against the respective divergent portions of the slider side flanges 19 and in which the top stops together with their support members are thoroughly concealed within the slider body.

FIG. 4 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the invention, in which each support member 23a has a step 24 on its edge away from the element carrying edge of the stringer tape 11. This step 24 is adapted to engage the top stop 22, in such a manner that the latter is even more positively restrained from upward displacement resulting from the thrust of the slider. Other details of construction and operation are exactly as above stated with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

Having thus described the improved top stops according to the invention, it is clear that the objects as above stated, either explicity or otherwise, have been fully achieved in a simple and practical manner. However, the specific forms and arrangements of the various parts of the slide fastener as herein disclosed are purely byway of example and not of a limitative nature. The invention, therefore, should and is intended to be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the fair meaning or proper scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slide fastener of the type comprising a pair of stringers each having a tape with a continuous coupling element secured along one of its longitudinal edges opposed to the other stringer tape, said continuous coupling element having a series of transverse portions each with a coupling head at one end and a series of connective portions arranged remote from the coupling heads, and a slider slidable along said continuous coupling elements to open or close the slide fastener, the combination thereof with a pair of support members of plastic material overlying and substantially integrally uniting with several of said connective portions, including the uppermost ones, of said continuous coupling elements, respectively, and a pair of top stops each in the form of a strip of metal which are secured to said stringers by clamping engagement of said stringer tapes and said support members, respectively, to limit the movement of said slider along said continuous coupling elements in the fastener closing direction, each of said top stops being received between two adjacent transverse portions of the continuous coupling element.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein each of said support members includes a step on its edge away from said one longitudinal edge of the stringer tape, said step being adapted to engage said top stop whereby the latter is even more positively restrained from displacement resulting from the thrust of said slider acting thereon. 

1. In a slide fastener of the type comprising a pair of stringers each having a tape with a continuous coupling element secured along one of its longitudinal edges opposed to the other stringer tape, said continuous coupling element having a series of transverse portions each with a coupling head at one end and a series of connective portions arranged remote from the coupling heads, and a slider slidable along said continuous coupling elements to open or close the slide fastener, the combination thereof with a pair of support members of plastic material overlying and substantially integrally uniting with several of said connective portions, including the uppermost ones, of said continuous coupling elements, respectively, and a pair of top stops each in the form of a strip of metal which are secured to said stringers by clamping engagement of said stringer tapes and said support members, respectively, to limit the movement of said slider along said continuous coupling elements in the fastener closing direction, each of said top stops being received between two adjacent transverse portions of the continuous coupling element.
 2. The combination of claim 1, wherein each of said support members includes a step on its edge away from said one longitudinal edge of the stringer tape, said step being adapted to engage said top stop whereby the latter is even more positively restrained from displacement resulting from the thrust of said slider acting thereon. 